While the Moto Z is aggressively priced at Rs 39,999, the Moto Mods are expensive. Here is the review of Moto Z.

After a long time, we are finally witnessing some unique innovation in smartphones. The world’s first truly modular smartphone has finally arrived. Of course, the LG G5 made an early entry, but the modularity aspect in it was more of a gimmick. The new Moto Z shows us the next level for smartphones and how seamless modular smartphones can actually be.

Moto has paid attention to the finer aspects of the Moto Z to offer a good overall experience minus Moto Mods as well. While the Moto Z is aggressively priced at Rs 39,999, the modules for the device are expensive. If you wish to own the new Moto Z with all the four Moto Mods, then it will cost a whopping Rs 81,995 at least. So, is it really worth it? Let’s find out.

Before you deep-dive into the hardware specifications, take a break to acknowledge the effort Moto has put while designing its flagship Moto Z. It is the slimmest premium smartphone at 5.19mm. It is so thin that Moto couldn't fit in a 3.5mm headphone jack. The all-metal body gives a premium feel. The frame is made out of aircraft-grade aluminum and the rear boasts stainless steel. There is only one colour option- Black with Lunar Grey trim. The Moto Z feels solid and looks classy.

Coming to hardware specifications, the smartphone is powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 820 processor with Adreno 530 GPU, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage with support for up to 2TB microSD cards. Performance-wise, the Moto Z is smooth and takes care of everyday tasks at ease. Also, heavy gamers will not be disappoint at all.

The Moto Z offers a 5.5-inch Quad HD AMOLED display with a resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels at a pixel density of 535ppi. The display quality is crisp with good contrast and offers decent sunlight visibility. Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection safeguards against minor scratches.

The device comes with a 5-megapixel wide angle f/2.2 front camera with LED Flash along with a 13-megapixel f/1.8 rear camera with dual LED Flash and OIS. The rear camera is among the fastest and is able to deliver good results. However, you might expect some focusing issues under complex low light conditions. The selfies clicked by this smartphone are definitely worth sharing.

On the software front, the device runs stock Android Marshmallow. Of course, it will receive the Android Nougat update in the coming months. The best part of the device is the fact that Moto has integrated the entire Mod experience within stock Android Marshmallow itself. There are no additional apps to power the extra hardware at the back. And the entire modular experience is flawless without any lags. Also, you can swap between Mods in real time without having to restart the phone.

(Image: Siddharth Safaya/News18.com)

Out of the box, you get USB Type-C to 3.5mm adapter, earphones, side cover, one complimentary Style Shell, wall charger with a long cable and a separate USB Type-C cable.

No doubt, the device looks unique, but Moto could have bettered the front of the device. During our Facebook Live session with News18 Tech followers, the common complaint was that the all-glass front of the Moto Z looked very similar to the Moto G4. Also, the bottom bezel is unusually wide. The Moto branding along with the fingerprint scanner is somehow fitted. Talking of which, the fingerprint is not the fastest when compared to other flagships.

Being a slim smartphone, the Moto Z is powered by a 2,600mAh battery. Motorola claims a mixed usage battery time of 24 hours. However, if you are constantly on 4G VoLTE, then you will have to carry a charger with you.

The JBL SoundBoost Speaker (Image: Siddharth Safaya/News18.com)

Competitors

In terms of modularity, the biggest competitor of the Moto Z is the company’s very own Moto Z Play. It is cheaper and offers the same modular experience with a bigger battery. The Moto Z clearly kills the LG G5. Other competitors include the HTC 10, Samsung Galaxy S7 edge and the Apple iPhone 6s, for someone who is looking at the Moto Z minus Moto Mods.

The aggressive pricing of the Moto Z will surely be an advantage for Moto. This is definitely the Android smartphone, you would want to flaunt. Not just for its modular capability but also for the premium design.

The Moto Z with Moto Mods is futuristic and takes the game to the next level. We finally have true innovation in a flagship to boast.